Brian Maly, pictured, won a gold medal in the Super G competition and a silver medal in the Advanced Level Giant Slalom at the Special Olympics that took place recently at Mountain Creek resort in Vernon.
At the March 10 Bloomfield Township Council meeting, a proclamation recognized Special Olympian Brian Maly “for his outstanding Alpine Racing skills as the very first Gold Medal Champion in Advanced Level Skiing for Bloomfield.”
Maly’s gold medal came at Mountain Creek, Vernon, in the Super G. This event requires competitors to individually race downhill against the clock, weaving right and left around poles, called gates, as they are increasingly propelled by gravity.
He also won a silver medal at the Games, in Advanced Level Giant Slalom skiing.
This event has a longer course and gates more widely spaced than the Super G. The Giant Slalom is considered a technical event; the Super G is a speed event.
Maly, 27, a Bloomfield High School graduate, class of 2018, is no Special Olympics novice having competed in track and field, bocci, basketball and soccer.
He has been skiing since he was four, coached by his father, Patrick.
Maly decided to compete at skiing this year because he wanted to prove to himself that he could win a gold medal in the sport.
Last year, he won two silver medals in the same competitions.
“A lot of hard work goes into learning the basics,” he said. “You have to stay focused and work until you have the hang of it. Skiing is about what you’ve learned and you need patience; knowing the right time to go forward, back and forth and when to hang on.”
He said a skier must know when it is safe enough to “tuck and go.” This is when the skier squats and twists and turns to build up speed. Maly has had some falls, but no injuries.
“You have to go forward and face your fears,” he said, “whether it’s the highest mountain or the lowest hill. Sometimes the fear can be height. Sometimes it can be ‘double diamonds.’ That’s when the trail is filled with deep snow or rugged moguls. That’s when you know it’s the hardest.”
Warnings are posted to alert skiers of double diamonds, he said.
A mogul is a bump in the snow, sometimes manmade, to challenge a skier. Maly has skied in Utah, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Colorado.
He also adheres to a vigorous exercise regimen on a daily basis.
“You have to start off a race with a strong strategy,” he said, “pay attention to the course and concentrate on skiing through the poles as fast as possible.”
After a race, he thinks about his time and what it might have been.
“Deep inside, I know if I had a good run,” he said.
Maly also played in the Special Olympics of NJ Basketball Tournament last week, at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison.
“We did great,” he said, “and came in second.”
Next week his team will compete in the Special Olympics basketball state championships, in Wildwood.
Patrick Maly, his father, started coaching his son for skiing in these Special Olympics three years ago.
“Once I explained how the trails worked, the moguls, straightaways, the turns, he followed my instructions perfectly,” Patrick Maly said. “I was proud of Brian because he was able to ski down Mountain Creek and it was all ice.”
Patrick Maly said the officials allowed him to go down the course a minute after his son.
“I was just sliding,” he said. “It was difficult, but all the competitors finished. They gave it their all.”
Sports, Brian Maly said, has recently taught him a lot, especially about teamwork and hard work.
“You can do a great job in sports,” he said. “I’ve learned how to be a good athlete and master myself on anything I take up. It’s what I’ve learned. All you have to do is your best. That’s all that matters.”
Bloomfield resident brings home gold in downhill skiing added by Daniel Jackovino on
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